> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ailyze.gitbook.io/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/compare-groups-segments.md).
# Compare Groups (Segments)
This page shows you how to compare your results across groups — like department, region, or plan — so you can see exactly who differs and how.
{% hint style="info" %}
**What you need:** a dataset with a grouping column (spreadsheet), or multiple documents (or a focus group) you can tag by group.
**What you will have at the end:** side-by-side comparisons — charts and quotes — showing how each group answers differently.
{% endhint %}
"People are unhappy" is weak. "*Enterprise* users on *mobile* are unhappy about *onboarding*" is actionable. Comparing [segments](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#segment) is how you get there.
## In spreadsheet analysis
### Compare across all columns
Pick **"Analyze text, numerical, categorical, etc. survey data across all columns"**. On the **Configure Column Types** board, drag your grouping columns into the **Segments** bucket (for example, **Department, Region, Plan, Tenure, Rating band**). Evidano then compares every numerical, categorical, and text result **across those segments**.
### Compare selected columns
Pick **"Analyze text responses in selected columns"**. Here the grouping is detected for you (**"AI will auto-identify this for you"**), so you don't choose segments manually. If you need explicit control, use the across-all-columns option above.
### Reading the comparison
* On any chart, use the **Segment** dropdown to switch groups, and **"Put segments on y-axis"** to see them side by side.
* The **Overall** dashboard shows each column broken down by segment.
* Download chart data as **CSV/PNG** for your own deck.
## In document analysis
1. During setup, at **"Step 3: Segment comparison"**, choose **"Compare segments"** (for example, *"Compare across gender, region, year of publication"*).
2. Tag each file or group with the segment it belongs to in the comparison step.
3. Results include a **Segment data overview** and a **"Comparison across segments"** section inside each [theme](/ailyze-docs/reference/glossary.md#theme).
{% hint style="warning" %}
You need **multiple files or a focus group** to compare — Evidano warns you if you try to compare a single, non-[focus-group](/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-focus-groups.md) document.
{% endhint %}
## What makes a good segmentation
* **Pick variables you can act on** — region, plan, role, version, time period.
* **Keep groups big enough** to be meaningful (and, for employee data, to protect anonymity).
* **Limit the number of segments** — 2–5 clear groups beat a dozen tiny ones.
* **Watch for confounds** — a difference by region might really be a difference by product version.
## Common comparisons by team
| Team | Compare by | Question answered |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Customer experience | channel, plan, satisfaction band | Where is dissatisfaction concentrated? |
| Product | app version, platform, cohort | Did the new release fix or break things? |
| HR | department, tenure, location | Which groups are disengaging, and why? |
| Market research | demographic, region, customer type | How do needs differ by group? |
## A realistic example
> **Scenario:** A pulse survey across 5 departments. Segment by **department**, and the Overall dashboard reveals that *workload* dominates in Support while *career growth* dominates in Engineering — each with quotes — turning a flat average into a targeted action plan.
## Next steps
* [Analyze employee feedback](/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-employee-feedback.md) — a common segmented workflow.
* [Discover themes and patterns](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/discover-themes-and-patterns.md) — find the themes you'll compare.
* [How to read your results](/ailyze-docs/analyze-data/how-to-read-your-results.md) — read the comparison charts.
* [Analyze open-ended survey responses](/ailyze-docs/common-research-workflows/analyze-open-ended-survey-responses.md) — the full survey workflow.
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